Mystical/Magical
by Mick Shelley
Summary: *re-written and re-posted!*


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Title: Mystical/Magical 

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Author: Shelley (aka Mini Stat!) and Mandy (the Evil Twin)

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Disclaimer: Sadly Joss owns everyone but Liz(abella), Shelley and Mandy. The songs are 'Angel' by Aerosmith, 'Damn' by Matchbox Twenty and 'Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones.

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Feedback: "To coin a popular Sunnydale phrase, 'duh'"

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Timeline: Right after 'Once More With Feeling'

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A/N: 'K, two things, (a) Doyle's alive, (b) Darla's not pregnant

The mood in Spike's crypt was depressing, candles lined one wall and the bleached blonde sat sipping from a bottle of vodka in his favorite chair. Not typical Spike at all, maybe some of his poofy sire was rubbing off one him. God he hoped not. The Slayer, that's what was getting to him. Ever sense they had kissed outside the Bronze he'd been rethinking things. Oh, he loved Buff, there was no doubt about that, but it had turned in to almost a 'brotherly' kind of love. _*Bloody great that. Spend a year moping over the Slayer only to have this happen. Typical. And I'm sure she feels the same, most likely half way to LA to see Peaches.* _He thought sadly. _*Oh well, if I can't be with Buff she might as well be happy…* _Spike sat down the bottle and thought for a minute. Why shouldn't Buffy be happy? Or even his sire for that matter. Oh, he had a plan, a good plan too, it'd just require a little help. Spike racked his alcohol soaked brain and tried to remember the number of his pet witches in LA. Mandy, Liz, and Shelley. His 'evil master minds' as they liked to call themselves. Three lovely immortals. Not vampires, but not really human either. They could help, he just had to find the number first.

* * *

Buffy turned the radio up as she drove past the 'now leaving Sunnydale' sign. 

__

//Don't know what I'm gonna do about this feelin' inside 

Yes, it's true, loneliness took me for a ride 

Without your love, I'm nothing but a beggar 

Without your love, a dog without a bone 

What can I do, I'm sleepin' in this bed alone// 

She did what she had to in kissing Spike. She had assured herself that it was the right thing to do, the only way to find out she didn't love him. _*Not like that anyway.* _She still loved Angel, and more than likely, always would.

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//Baby,

You're my Angel, come and save me tonight 

You're my Angel, come and make it alright 

You're my Angel, come and save me tonight//

*Ironic.* She thought as she listened to Steven Tyler sing his heart out. 

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//You're the reason I live 

You're the reason I die 

You're the reason I give 

When I break down and cry 

Don't need no reason why 

Baby, baby, baby//

With a sigh she turned the radio off and concentrated on getting to LA. There was someone she had to see.

* * *

__

//this old world well   
don't it make you wanna think damn   
this cold girl well   
I know she wanna make you scream, damn// 

"Shell! Turn that down!" The brunette rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her friend. 

"What?" She asked looking pointedly at the phone in Mandy's hand.

"It's William." The girls shared a grin. That made it all better.

"Speaker phone!"

"'Ello pets." Came that gorgeous British accented voice.

"Hey Will. Long time, no chat."

"Yeah, what was it, '56 the last time we talked?" Mandy added grinning.

"Woodstock. Where's Lizzie?"

"Ah, she flew the coop. Met some hot guy and took off, 'bout two, three, years ago actually."

"Something tells me you didn't call here just to check up on us." Shelley said grinning. In reality she didn't care why Spike called, seeing him, talking to him, anything to do with him, always brought a smile to her face. 

"Right, I need a favor."

"Shoot."

"It's kind of a gift for Angelus and the Slayer."

"Figured." Mandy grinned.

"What?"

"Well, lets just say we've been going back and forth between LA and Sunnyhell."

"Well, that's just bloody wonderful. I take it you also know what I'm going to ask as well."

"Yup!"

"We've already got the perfect spell too."

"You girls are alright. I'll be in LA tomorrow night and then we'll get cracking."

They smiled. "Sure thing Will."

* * *

Not ten minutes after Spike hung up with Mandy and Shelley, Buffy pulled up in front of Angel's hotel. 

"Angel, come on. Wes and Fred are happy! Be happy for them!" She heard Cordelia's voice before she saw her. She was trailing behind Angel followed closely by Doyle. "Dinner and a movie, that's it, afterwards you can go home and brood all you want. I promise."

"Fine, I'll go." Buffy watched as Angel relented and turned to face his friends. 

"Great man, see ye at five then." Doyle called as he dragged Cordelia towards the door. "Oh. Hey Buffy. Lets go Princess."

"Hey, Doyle. Cordy. Angel." Half of her was glad that Doyle and Cordelia were leaving, the other half was afraid of what might happen if she was alone with Angel for too long.

"Buffy." If Angel's heart beat it would have stopped then and there. She was even more beautiful than she had been just weeks ago. "What….How are you?"

"Been better. Been worse." He only nodded, not knowing what to say. "Um, Angel? There's something I need to talk to you about. Why I'm here. I could have called, but this really didn't seem like the kinda thing you say over the phone." 

"What is it?" He asked bracing himself for the worst. She was pregnant, getting married, hated his guts. He didn't know which one of those would hurt less than the other.

"Angel, I love you. I still love you and I know I always will." Okay that was **so** totally not what he expected. Right outta left field that one. "I know that you left so that I could move on, find a normal boyfriend and have a normal life. And God knows I tried! But I'm never going to have a normal life. I'm the Slayer. My best friend is Spike! Angel, I don't care about a normal life. I don't want a normal life. I want you." There, she'd done it. She'd told him how she felt.

"Buffy…"

"Just tell me you still love me Angel. Tell me I didn't just make a complete fool out of myself." She said pasting a weak smile on her face.

"Always. I love you." Angel smiled his own watery smile and pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. She smiled and buried her head in his chest.

"So, uh, is there room of one more tonight?"

* * * 

Spike smiled as the girls' two-story house came into view. Blue with light blue trim. Totally them. "Will!" He got out of the car and watched as a short brunette flung herself into his arms.

"'Ello Shell." He said laying a kiss on her forehead. She hadn't changed much from the last time he saw her at Woodstock. Hip hugger jeans and a bight blue halter top and braids scattered though her dark brown hair.

"Come on in, Mandy wants to get started."

With a grin he allowed her to drag him into the house where he was greeted by a girl with caramel blonde hair that was only slightly less enthusiastic in her greeting. "Hey blonde. Lets get to it." She pointed to a circle of candles and took a seat outside of the circle making it clear that they were meant to do the same.

"Now what?" He asked, not knowing what the witches had planned.

"Well, we did have a binding spell all worked out-"

"-But, we found something even better." Shelley finished grinning.

"Care to share?" He knew full and well what happened when Shelley got that look on her face.

"Well, we found a way to make Angel human, no strings attached."

"And he gets to keep his strength, so there are no problems."

Spike was in shock. He had known they were powerful, you don't spend 200 years perfecting something to only be mediocre, but could they really pull that off? Could they turn his sire human? Shell squeezed his hand and nodded towards Mandy. Mandy raised a orb he hadn't noticed from the middle of the circle to high above her head and began chanting something he couldn't understand. It wasn't to much longer before Shelley joined in and the orb began to glow with a light that was so blinding he had to look away.

"So, that's it?"

Mandy nodded. "That's it."

"Right, I'll just go see how it worked then."

Another nod. "Blessed be William. We'll check on you soon."

To Spike that sounded more like a threat than a promise. He caught Shelley's wink and headed out the door. He'd never understand that one, she definitely was one of a kind, not even her twin was as out there as she was. It was almost comforting being around her, even if she was having on of her "Drusilla moments" as she and Shelley liked to call them.

* * *

Back at the hotel Angel and Buffy were involved in some heavy duty making out the same time Mandy finished the spell. He fell to the floor and let out a scream as the spell began to take affect. "Angel!" Buffy grabbed him and gathered him up into her arms as she waited for what ever happened to him to pass. "Angel?" His heart was beating so fast she swore it could have jumped out of his chest. Wait, his heart? "Omigod. Angel you're…"

"Human." 

* * *

Spike pulled up in front of Angel Investigations and suddenly wished that he had talked the girls into coming with him, this would be a whole lot easier to explain if they were there. "Your wish, is my command." He turned and saw two bright lights signaling Mandy and Shelley's arrival.

"Nice trick."

"Thought you'd like it." Mandy said with a grin. "Now come on, I wanna see Liam."

Spike grinned and hooked elbows with them both before heading inside. Inside was a typical Scooby like meeting. Cordelia and Fred were perched on the counter with Doyle beside it and Wesley and Gunn behind, only the ex-Watcher was doing any actual research on Angel's sudden humanity, the others were content to watch Buffy and Angel stare at each other, with occasional comments like 'I'm gonna yack.' And 'Aren't they sweet?' The blonde vampire stocked into the lobby making as much noise as possible so as to announce his presence. 

"What Spike?" Buffy smiled looking up from Angel for only a second to smirk at him.

"Well, Slayer I just thought I'd come see how you were enjoying my present."

That got everyone's attention. Angel got up so that he was facing Spike and grinned. "I should have known. Hey girls."

"Hey wow, he actually remembers!" Shelley said amazed as they gave him a quick hug.

"I take it you guys know each other then?" Cordy commented.

Mandy tried to play it off, "Oh we've met once or twice. Last time we saw Angel or William they were both higher than the Rolling Stones on the opening night of a new tour."

"You two weren't exactly thinking all that clear that weekend either." The former vampire shot back. "We met back around 1899, and met up at Woodstock." He looked Shelley over. "Thirty years and you're still dressing like that?"

"Bite me." 

Confused Gunn questioned them. "You two are the ones that made Angel human?"

"Yeah call it a favor for William."

"Plus we thought Angel would enjoy it."

"So you gals are what, vampires?"

Angel and Spike both laughed at that. "No, they're witches."

"Very powerful, Immortal witches." Spike added.

"Very powerful immortal witches that are leaving." Mandy stated dragging 

Shelley towards the door. The brunette got up on her tiptoes and gave Spike a kiss before going.

"Come and see us Will, I don't know if I could wait another thirty years."

Fred, Buffy and Cordelia all stared in amazement, both at the talent they must have and at Shelley's drooling over Spike. Plus the whole William thing.

"Spike, you really…." Buffy stared at the blonde vampire in shock. "You got them to…For me? Us?" Spike nodded. "I thought after, y'know, you be back to wanting to kill me."

"Slayer, I'll be honest, that kiss was as much a test for you as it was for me."

"Kiss?! You kissed Spike?!" Buffy bit her lip and nodded sheepishly.

"I knew I felt something for him, and well we were possessed by this singing demon. It was the whole big musical thing, and musicals typically end in a kiss."

"But it was wrong, cause see I've come to think of the Summers gals as family."

Sometime during that little speech Wes, Fred, Cordy, Doyle and Gunn managed to slip out of the hotel leaving them alone.

"So there is nothing going on!" Buffy and Spike both said.

"Okay. I believe you."

"Well, I'd better go see the girls, and head back to Sunnyhell. Nibblit's with the Watcher."

"So, now what?" Buffy asked.

"What?"

"Well, do Dawn and I move here? Do you come to Sunnydale? What?"

"Well, I think if Willow is as powerful as she claims she can take care of the Hellmouth and you guys can move in here."

Buffy smiled. "You do know that Spike is already packing, planning to move in, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Just making sure." She rested her head against Angel's chest. The constant thumping was comforting. "I'd better go. Pack." She kissed him once more before breaking away.

"I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

"What?! You can move!" Willow stared in shock as her friend packed her, and Dawn's belongings.

"Willow, I'm sure you can handle it."

"Well, yeah! But that's not the point!"

Buffy sighed and prayed for the millionth time sense she came back that Spike would hurry up and help her load everything. She almost gave a little cry of joy when she heard him climb up the stairs, with Shelley. She felt like she knew everything there was to know about the girl, Spike hadn't shut up about her the whole way back from LA. 

"Spike! Thank god, could you take……Oh. Hi." 

"Hey Buffy." If Spike could have blushed he would have at the look Buffy was shooting him at that moment.

"Slayer. Red."

Willow nodded and kept on with her badgering. "Buffy! You can't just leave, we need the Slayer!"

"You guys did okay with out me Wills." She sighed looking at the room full of boxes. "Shelley, you wouldn't happen to…?" The pixie looking witch nodded and suddenly the boxes vanished. "Cool."

"I just hope Angelus wasn't in the way when those landed in the lobby."

Buffy winced at the thought of Angel being crushed by the boxes. "Lets hope. Ready Spike?"

"Lets go. See ya Red." The blonde vampire clipped Willow on the shoulder and wrapped an arm around Shelley's waist as the headed down the stairs were Dawn was waiting with Tara and Xander.

"Buffy, please, think about this."

"Xander, I know you don't like Angel, but I love him and I want to be with him." 

She glanced back at Willow who was standing on the steps. "Sunnydale will be fine with out me." The boy nodded and hugged his friend.

"Be careful."

"I will."

Buffy sighed and looked around the house one more time. "Bye."

In the car Spike looked at the Slayer with sympathy. It wasn't everyday you had to tell your friends you were leaving, even if it was to be with someone you loved. Nor was it easy to face off like she did with Willow. 

"It'll be fine ducks."

"I know. Just the sooner we get to LA the better." 

* * *

Ah, awkward silence. Was there anything more enjoyable? Mandy shifted nervously on the circular sofa in the middle of the lobby watching Gunn play gameboy. "So....We never got a chance to introduce ourselves, I'm Mandy."

"Gunn."

"Gunn. That's an interesting name. A whole lot better than Amanda, it's so common, half the girls in LA are probably named Amanda, pretty confusing y'know?" Oh Goddess, she was babbling. That was never good. "Where is everyone?"

"Out. Cordelia dragged Angel and Doyle shopping, and Wes and Fred are buying food."

"Oh." She wished that Shelley and Spike would hurry up, things were getting awkwarder by the minute. _*Awkwarder? Is that even a word? Great now I'm babbling in my head too! Will wonders never cease? I wonder if he wears boxers or briefs….Probably boxers. White boxers with little smiley faces.* _Mandy snorted at the image of Gunn in smiley face boxers which of course made the subject of her mental images to look over with a confused look on his face. 

"Nothing. Just remembering something….Woodstock." 

__

*Smooth Mandy, real smooth. Now he thinks you're insane. Well, I am insane. Not as insane as like say Drusilla but still, pretty crazy in my own right.* She sighed and drummed her fingers on the top of the sofa. For some reason she couldn't get the image of Gunn in smiley face boxers out of her head. _*Great, I'm stuck here with that picture stuck in my head? Not that it's that bad really. Imaginary Gunn's been working out. Oh! No, no don't go there! Drats! Too late!* _Oh yeah, it was awkward and getting much worse. _*Just leave! You can come back and see William later. Oh but now all I wanna do is stare at Gunn. Damnit, I don't know how, but some how this is all Shelley's fault!* _She had to get out of there, five more minutes and she would be forced to jump him.

"Something wrong?"

__

*Oh he had to speak didn't he?!. Okay, pull yourself together and everything will be fine.* "No." She squeaked and ran out the door.

__

*Strange girl* 

* * *

Time passes quickly for mortals when they are happy, and for the LA crew it was the same. Buffy and Dawn quickly settled in to the hotel and got into the swing of things. Spike spend most of his time at the hotel with Shelley, who had moved most of her things in to his room after the first week or so. Angel and Buffy were back to their lovey dovey selves, that at times made Spike almost regret asking the girls to do the spell, and surprise surprise, Mandy and Gunn began some kind of odd relationship. What that means is, they went out, made out, got jealous if anyone so much as looked at the other for more than two seconds, but they refused to admit that they felt anything for the other one. Before they knew it, it was almost Christmas and Buffy wanted to go all out, because, after all, it was Angel's first Christmas as a human in over 200 years. The day before Christmas she came home with a gigantic tree under one arm and a mountain of ornaments under the other.

"Do you know, you don't own a single Christmas decoration? Not even a stocking!" Buffy said looking at Angel in mock shock. Cordelia and Doyle had left to spend the holidays in Ireland with his family and Wes and Fred to England over a week ago leaving the hotel to them, Spike, Shelley, Mandy, Gunn and Dawn. She had to admit she really was starting to like the two witches, they were full of interesting stories about Spike and Angel.

"Uhoh, Angel. Big no-no. Buffy is totally in to Christmas." Dawn giggled from her spot on the steps wrapping gifts with Spike.

"So I see. Where on earth are you planning to put that?" Angel asked staring up at the massive tree. 

"Well, I was thinking, here."

Spike laughed at the baffled look on his sire's face as the Slayer placed the tree in the corner. "I like it."

"Thank you Spike." 

"Anytime."

Angel rolled his eyes, sometimes having those two under on roof was just asking for punishment. "So, ah, need any help?" That apparently as the right thing to ask, as Buffy's face lit up as he asked.

"As a matter of a fact there are some boxes in the car…."

"Right, on it."

The blonde vampire about had a fit laughing at the quick exit is sire made. "So, Slayer. What's in the boxes?"

"Gifts."

"Oh?" Spike asked, is voice full of very fake sounding shock. "What'd ya get me?"

Buffy grinned. "Not a damn thing."

Dawn laughed and handed Spike the last gift. "I think you should do this one."

"Oh, that Shelley's?" Buffy playfully reached for the box, trying to sneak a peak at what Spike had gotten the pixie looking witch. 

"Maybe." He said pulling it behind his back, but not fast enough, Buffy managed to grab it and run over into the one patch of sunlight in the whole room so that he couldn't follow.

"Let's see shall we?" She threw open the lid and pulled out a black leather duster much like the one he was wearing. "That's it? That's pathetic Spike." Spike stocked over towards her and, risking the pain grabbed it away and reached in to the pocket.

"No that's not bloody well it." After fishing around for a minute he came out with a beautiful silver ring and an old 19th century photo of a man with long brown hair that looked like Spike and a girl that looked like Shelley. Buffy grabbed it and flipped it over to confirm it. _William Lloyd and Michelle Smith, January_ _17th 1879_. "Shell and I share a birthday, January 17th, that was our nineteenth. And this," he said holding up the ring, "was my gift to her that day."

"Wow. You two grew up together?"

"Elizabeth and Amanda's family lived not far from mine, they were witchs, there mum was a witch, it was a family thing. One day when we were about nine years old the their cousin Michelle, from America, moved in with them. Her father was some kind of big to do down in New Orleans, and both her mother and father ended up killed. We grew up together, best of friends, until about a year after that picture was taken. We were at a party; my poetry was being mocked yet again by a group of bloody idiots, and that same night I, literally, ran in to Angelus and well, you know the rest. Mandy and Liz found a spell that, if it worked properly, would bind their souls together and make them immortal."

"Bind their souls together?"

"If one died, so did the others."

"But Mandy said-"

"She didn't met Angel until 1899 just like she said" Spike placed the objects back into the pocket and folded the duster back into the box. "Happy now Slayer?" Buffy opened her mouth to apologize but was interrupted by the sound of giggling coming from the doorway as Mandy and Shelley came in, their hands full of bags followed closely by Gunn and Angel. Spike tossed the box behind the counter in panic.

"Lotta bags, what'd ya get?"

"Too damn much." Gunn muttered. Five hours, he would never look at a mall the same way again. Mandy giggled and slapped his arm playfully.

"It wasn't that bad!"

"Oh yes it was! Never again, you hear me? Never again." Mandy just rolled her eyes at her 'boyfriend'.

"You say that now."

"Guys? Do you mind?" Dawn's voice brought them back to reality. "It's Christmas Eve and I **think** we can find better things to do then watch you two go at it yet again. You love each other, why don't you just admit it?" The witch and vampire hunter stared at her in horror. "Oh come on!"

"Not gonna happen!" The both said.

"Oh so what I'm not good enough for you?"

"I didn't say that Mand."

"But you were thinking it!"

"Amy, don't start!"

"I'll start, and I'll finish!" Well, that's what Mandy meant to say she got as far a "I'll-" before Gunn silenced her with a mind blowing kiss. "I…"

"I know."

"Well, now that we have all that out of the way. Let's us girls go get pretty." Buffy grinned with a hint of mischief.

"What do you mean?"

"You boys are taking us out tonight, well, we're taking you out really." Shelley explained. "It'll be fun, I promise!"

"Famous last words, huh pet?"

* * *

"Oh God, please don't let Angel sing!" Gunn looked in horror at the once vampire as he headed towards the stage of the demon karokee bar. "Please Lord, don't let him do it!" Angel glared at him.

"Relax, I'm not going to sing, Spike is." The girls, having all heard the blonde sign before, sighed. "Or, maybe not."

"Easy Peaches, your girl's safe." Spike laughed as he headed up to the mike.

"Anything but the Sex Pistols Will!" He swore. Changing his song selection he waited for the music and started to sing.

__

//I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction  
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try  
I can't get no, I can't get no 

When I'm drivin' in my car, and the man come on the radio  
He's tellin' me more and more about some useless information  
Supposed to fire my imagination//

Shelley about lost it; Spike was up there doing a perfect impression of Mick Jagger.

__

//I can't get no. Oh, no, no, no. Hey, hey, hey  
That's what I say  
I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction  
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try  
I can't get no, I can't get no 

When I'm watchin' my TV and a man comes on and tell me  
How white my shirts can be  
But, he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke  
The same cigarettes as me 

I can't get no. Oh, no, no, no. Hey, hey, hey  
That's what I say  
I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction  
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try  
I can't get no, I can't get no 

When I'm ridin' round the world, and I'm doin' this and I'm signin' that  
And I'm tryin' to make some girl, who tells me  
Baby, better come back maybe next week  
'Cause you see I'm on a losing streak  
I can't get no. Oh, no, no, no. Hey, hey, hey  
That's what I say. I can't get no, I can't get no  
I can't get no satisfaction, no satisfaction  
No satisfaction, no satisfaction //

When Spike sat down the whole place exploded with cheers for the British vampire. Shelley wrapped a possessive arm around him and glared at the girls that were drooling over 'her' man. 

"Well, there is no way any of us can top that." Gunn said getting nods from the group.

"Time for plan B then."

"Plan B?" Angel looked at his beloved strangely.

"Yup."

"And that would be?"

"First we go home, then we spend the night wrapped in each others arms."

"Sounds good to me." 


End file.
